ES2712959T3 - System and procedure for the automatic production, application and evaluation of coating compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

A color matching process for coatings, comprising: providing an objective formulation for a coating composition, including target types and amounts of components of the coating composition to be included in the target formulation; automatically dispensing the components of the coating composition in a container and measuring the amount of each of the components of the coating composition dispensed in the container; compare the measured quantity of each of the components with the objective quantity of each of the components; applying the coating composition to a substrate and curing the coating composition to form a sample coating; compare the characteristics of the sample coating with the characteristics of an objective coating produced from the objective coating formulation; and correlate any difference between the characteristics of the sample coating and the objective coating with the comparison between the measured quantity of each of the components and the objective quantity of each of the components.

Description

DESCRIPTION

System and procedure for the production, application and automatic evaluation of coating compositions

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to automated systems and methods for producing and applying coating compositions while monitoring their formulations and application parameters, and evaluating the resulting coatings and the monitored data as compared to the target or reference coatings.

Background of the invention

Conventional color matching operations require a lot of labor. In general, a technician manually weighs a coating formula by manually selecting and pouring each component of the formula into a container on a scale and reducing the formula by selecting a reducer and manually pouring the reducer into the component container using a dipstick. Next, the technician mixes and applies the coating composition on a panel. An expert colorist evaluates each panel visually and adjusts the formula manually. Then, the process returns to the technician to regress, pulverize and adjust until the equalization is considered acceptable. This process tends to be prone to errors and inefficient and can lead to low quality color matches.

WO 2008/103405 A1 describes a method and system for the automotive selection of dyes and flakes to produce one or more equalizing formulas to match the color and appearance of a flake-containing objective coating.

US Pat. No. 2004/0250873 A1 discloses a method and system of tinting machine that uses the same to provide coating compositions having a desired selected color, suitable for use in small commercial stores or retail stores. According to the procedure, the base paint is predispensed in a container with lid and then the dyes are added simultaneously to the base paint. The actual load, usually the combined basis weight paint of the can and the contents, is compared to the correct load stored in a database and an operator is alerted if the two do not match.

WO 01/26788 A1 discloses a semiautomatic system for dispensing liquid paint components from their original containers in a paint container according to a paint formula to form a liquid paint mixture. Each of the liquid paint components are dispensed herein by a mechanism of dispensing their respective containers into the paint receptacle in a sequential manner, in which the individual containers are manually exchanged by an operator after the quantity The desired component of the respective component has been released in the receptacle. In this document, the amount of each paint component dispensed in the paint receptacle is controlled by the control module through a weigh cell.

US 5,080,285 relates to an automatic paint gun for industrial applications involving use with industrial robots.

Summary of the invention

One aspect of the invention provides a color matching process for coatings comprising: providing an objective formulation for a coating composition including target types and amounts of the components of the coating composition to be included in the target formulation; automatically dispense the components of the coating composition in a container and measure the amount of each of the components of the coating composition dispensed into the container; compare the measured quantity of each one of the components with the objective quantity of each one of the components; applying the coating composition to a substrate and curing the coating composition to form a sample coating; comparing the characteristics of the sample coating with the characteristics of an objective coating produced from the target coating formulation; and correlating any difference between the characteristics of the sample coating and the objective coating with the comparison between the measured quantity of each of the components and the objective quantity of each of the components.

Another aspect of the invention provides an automatic color equalization system comprising: multiple automatic dispensers of coating components containing components of a coating composition; a conveyor a positionable container adjacent to each of the multiple component dispensers by the conveyor to receive the components of the coating composition; a component sensor for measuring the quantities of each of the components dispensed in the container; a mixer for mixing the components of the coating composition and the solvent; a station of automatic pressurization structured and arranged to apply pressure to the mixed coating composition to dispense as! the coating composition from the container to an application device; and a structured robotic arm and arranged to transport the container to the mixer after the components have been dispensed into the container and measured, and to transport the container from the mixer to the automatic pressurization station.

As a preferred embodiment, the system may further comprise: a computer programmed to provide an objective formulation for the coating composition including types and amounts of components of the coating composition to be included in the objective formulation, in which the computer is programmed to store the data corresponding to the measured quantities of each of the components.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a flow diagram illustrating aspects of an automated coating system and method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating aspects of an automated coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is an isometric view of an automatic coating composition dispensing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating aspects of an automated coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a partially schematic side view of a container pressurizing system for use in an automated coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As used herein, the term "color equalization" means the evaluation of the characteristics of a coating as compared to another coating. Characteristics may include color or spectral characteristics, appearance and physical properties. The color / spectrum characteristics are known in the coating art and include solid colors and apparent colors such as metallic and pearlescent colors. These characteristics are often measured or analyzed in the visual range of the electromagnetic spectrum, but, in some cases, they can be measured or analyzed in other ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as the infrared and ultraviolet ranges. Examples of appearance features include brightness, haze, distinctive character of the image, speckle, transparency and the like. Examples of physical characteristics include film thickness, drying time, hardness, abrasion resistance, adhesion, conductivity, density, dispersion, flexibility and the like. As used herein, the term "objective coating" means a coating having at least one characteristic that must be matched in comparison to a coating produced in accordance with the present invention. As used herein, the term "objective formulation" means a coating formulation corresponding to a selected coating that is identical or similar in characteristics to the target coating to be matched. The selected coating and the corresponding target formulation can be selected manually and / or automatically, for example, by a color analyst, by comparing the target coating with multiple color chips and selecting at least one of the color chips that appear to match the coating objective. The selected color chip may have an associated color formulation that becomes the "objective formulation" during a color matching process. The term "sample coating" means a coating produced by the present system or process that can be evaluated in comparison with the target coating. The term "component", when referring to a coating composition, means a constituent or ingredient of the formulation of the coating composition, such as a pigment, dye, resin, additives, catalysts, solvents or the like.

Figure 1 is a flow diagram illustrating aspects of an automated coating system and method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The steps include: 1 initializing the target coating formulation; 2 filling the container and measuring the components of the coating composition; 3 adjust the amount of components if necessary; 4 store quantity data of measured component; 5 add reducer; 6 mix components and reducer; 7 pressurizing the coating composition; 8 apply and cure the coating composition; 9 evaluate the coating of the sample; 10 correlate the characteristics of the sample coating with the formulation of the stored coating and / or process the data; 11 pass / fail the analysis; 12 apply indications to the sample coating corresponding to the quantity data of the stored coating component and / or process the data and / or data of coating characteristics; and 13 adding the stored quantity of component data and / or processing the data and / or the characteristic coating data to a stored coating formulation database. The systems and methods of the present invention are suitable for use in many applications. Examples of some suitable applications include automotive refinishing, automotive OEM, automotive parts and products, architectural coatings, consumer electronics, home appliances, sports and recreational equipment, aerospace and the like. In certain embodiments, the coating compositions may be applied to one or more test panels, such as those used in color laboratories and the like.

Any suitable coating composition can be used in the system of the present invention. For example, some suitable solvent-based coating compositions include hydroxyl isocyanate, epoxy amine, hydroxyl anhydride, acrylate, acrylic / CAB, alkyd, acetylacetonate ketamine, acrylic lacquer, vinyl butylaldehyde, epoxy / acid, melamine hydroxyl, silane, acrylic urethane and similar. Some suitable water-based compositions include isocyanate hydroxyl, epoxy amine, acrylic latex, hydroxyl melamine, polyurethane dispersions, and the like.

In the first step 1 illustrated in Figure 1, a target coating formulation can be initialized by looking for a color in a file box that is similar to a target color, visually comparing that color with the target color, and then entering that color formulation. of target coating on a computer file. In certain embodiments, a reflectance search tool can be used to scan the target color, and then standard algorithms known to those skilled in the art can be used to search an electronic database of pre-established formulations in the same chemical of coating and enumerate colors that are considered close by the algorithms. Next, the operator can visually compare colors close to the target color and enter the closest objective coating formulation into a computer file. Alternatively, the reflectance properties of the target color can be introduced and algorithms known to those skilled in the art can attempt a new component formulation that will be a starting point for color matching.

In the next step 2 shown in FIG. 2, a container is released in at least one dispensing station in which the components of the selected coating composition are introduced into the container. In this state, the amount of each component added to the container is measured by any suitable means. For example, the weight of each component can be measured with a balance. Each ingredient is dispensed as close as possible to the target amount. However, since the dispensers may not achieve exact 100 percent dispensing, the actual dispensed weight is recorded to provide a true composition of the color being mixed. For example, if a dispensing of 100.2 g of a component is required, the actual quantity dispensed can actually be 100.3 g. This may be due to the viscosities of the coating components, so! as to a certain amount of imprecision on the part of the dispensers. Therefore, a close but not always accurate dispensation will occur. Both the target and the poured weight quantities can be stored and the actual amounts of poured weight are used as the actual representation of the color.

In the next step 3 shown in FIG. 1, depending on the measured values of the individual components, the system can optionally adjust the formulation, for example, adding an additional amount of at least one of the components if it is determined that the The amount of that component is below the level of the objective formulation in relation to the other components.

In the next step 4 shown in Figure 1, the measured amount of each component, together with the measured amount of the reducer, can be stored in a computer or other data storage device or system.

Once the components of the coating composition are dispensed, their quantities are measured and stored, a reducer can optionally be added to the container in step 5 shown in Figure 1. Any suitable reductant, including the water and organic solvents known to the experts. The amount of added reducer can be measured, for example, by means of a scale or a volumetric measuring device. The measured amount of reducer can also be stored together with the data of the quantity of the measured component.

In the next step 6 shown in Figure 1, the various components and the reducer of the coating composition are mixed, for example, using an automated mixing system, as described in more detail below.

After mixing the coating composition, the container can be transported to a system in which the coating composition is automatically pressurized 7, as described in more detail below.

Once pressurized, the coating composition can be applied to various types of substrates and cured in step 8 to form a coated article or a sample coating, as described in more detail below.

In the next step 9 shown in Figure 1, the coating of the resulting sample is evaluated by visual and / or automatic detectors. Examples of manual evaluation techniques include direct and / or overlapping comparisons of an objective coating versus the sample coating product by the present process. Evaluations can be performed under standard visualization conditions, including simulated daylight, horizon light, fluorescent light, UV light, and intense simulated daylight projectors for color depth. In certain embodiments, evaluations are made under conditions that lack the penetration of ambient light so that the assessor can judge the color in the specified conditions. Automated evaluation techniques include, for example, an analysis of the spectrum and appearance of the color of the target coating as compared to the color of the sample coating. A spectrum curve or images can be generated from various viewing angles and various light sources, along with a numerical tolerance value indicating the relative proximity of the two panels in the color space. In addition to providing an indication of the distance or proximity to the target coating color, the system may also be used additionally to indicate the types and amounts of components to be added, removed or altered in an attempt to obtain a color match.

As shown in step 10 of Figure 1, after evaluating the sample coatings, their characteristics can be stored and correlated with the previously stored data, including the target coating formulation, the actual measured coating formulation including the amounts of each component, and application parameters, such as the pressure level, the rate of supply, the type of substrate, the superposition of the spray pattern, the number of coating layers, the number of coating compositions, the setting and curing times, etc.

In the approval / failure step 11 shown in Figure 1, the selected characteristics of the sample coating, as measured or otherwise analyzed by the manual and / or automated processes described above, can be compared with the characteristics of the sample. target coating to determine if there is an acceptable match. If the coating of the sample passes, the process can proceed to steps 12 and 13 which are described below. If the coating of the sample fails, the process can return to at least one of the previous steps, such as step 2 shown in Figure 1, where adjustments can be made manually or automatically to obtain a closer match. For example, in step 2, a new container can be filled with measured quantities of the components of the coating composition, and the process can be continued again as shown in Figure 1.

In the next step 12 shown in Figure 1, indications can be applied to the coating of the sample, for example, by the application of alphanumeric symbols, bar codes, rapid response codes or any other type of indications to a panel which comprises the coating of the sample. For example, a rear or front part of a panel may be directly marked or a label may be placed therein. The indications may contain data such as the component quantity data, the processing data, the characteristic data of the coating, including the color data / spectra, the appearance data and / or the physical property data, the approval data. / failure and / or data corresponding to how close the characteristics of the sample coating match the characteristics of the target coating.

In the last step 13 shown in Figure 1, the various types of data described above can be added to a database, such as the database containing the stored coating formulations. While this step and other steps shown in Figure 1 are illustrated sequentially, it should be understood that the steps can be performed in any suitable order and can be performed in parallel, so! as sequentially.

Figure 2 illustrates an automatic coating system 15 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The automatic coating system 15 includes an automatic coating dispensing system 20 and a mixing and pressurizing system of automatic coating composition 30.

As shown in detail in Figure 3, the automatic coating dispensing system 20 includes multiple coating component dispensers 22 in which the components of the coating compositions are stored and dispensed through coating nozzles 23. A conveyor 24 adjacent to the coating component dispensers 22 carries a shuttle 26, which supports a container 28 in which the coating components are dispensed from at least one of the dispensers 22. The shuttle 26 includes a balance 29 which is used for measuring the weight of each coating component when dispensed from one of the dispensers 22. During an automatic dispensing operation, the shuttle 26 travels along the conveyor 24 to a location below a dispensing nozzle 23, where the Cup 28 is filled with the particular coating component. After dispensing a coating component in the container 28, the balance 29 is used to measure the weight of the component. After the shuttle 26 and the container 28 have been transported to one or more of the dispensers 22, and the container 28 has been filled with the appropriate coating components, the shuttle 26 is moved to a position as shown in the Figure 2 adjacent to a reducer dispenser 35. At this stage, in certain embodiments, the container 28 can be filled with a desired type and amount of reductant. Alternatively, the reduced can be dispensed into the container 28 by at least one of the dispensers 22.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the automatic mixing and pressurizing system of the coating composition 30 includes reducing dispensers 35, a robot 40 with a robotic arm 42 and a mixer 50. The mixing and pressurizing system 30 also includes a container supply assembly 60, a lid supply assembly 70, and an installation and extraction assembly for the lid 80. The mixing and pressurizing system 30 also includes a conduit and receptacle 90 for the elimination of lids and a conduit and receptacle 100 for the elimination of containers. The mixing and pressurizing system 30 also includes pressurization systems 110

The various components and assemblies shown in Figures 2 and 4 are arranged in such a way that the robotic arm 42 can efficiently move the coating composition vessel 28 to several stations of the mixing and pressurizing system 30. After a signal of dispensing completion from the dispenser, a container 28 filled with the dispensed and measured coating components can be loaded into the reducer dispenser 35, in which the desired reducer is dispensed into the container. Next, the robot 40 transfers the filled container 28 to the installation and removal assembly of the lid 80, where a lid is applied to the container 28. The robot 40 can transfer the covered container 28 to the mixer 50 to mix the components and the reducer , for example, for a predefined time of 10 to 60 seconds or the like, for example, for 30 seconds. The robot 40 can then transfer the container 28 from the mixer 50 to the installation and removal assembly of the lid 80, in which the lid is removed from the container 28 and dispensed in the conduit and receptacle 90 for removing the lid. The robot 40 can then transfer the container 28 to the automated pressurized system 110. After the pressurization and application steps, the robot 40 can transfer the used container 28 to the conduit and receiving receptacle and to the disposal of containers. The lids and the removed containers can be discarded or cleaned and recycled.

In certain embodiments, after the coating components and the reducer have been mixed, the container 28 is transported to a pressure supply system, such as disclosed in United States Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 104,043. One embodiment of a pressure supply system is illustrated schematically in Figure 5. The pressure supply system 110 includes a pressure vessel 120. A container with full coating composition 28 is placed on a support base 140 and then moves in a horizontal direction H to a position under the pressure vessel 120. The pressure vessel 120 is lowered in vertical direction V to form a seal against the support base 140. Then, the pressure vessel 120 is pressurized and the The coating composition is released from the pressure vessel 120 to a selected application device (not shown). After the desired amount of coating composition has been supplied, the pressure vessel 120 rises in the vertical direction V, and then the support base 140 moves in the horizontal direction H to its initial position.

The pressure supply system has an initial parking position in which the filling container 28 is placed on the support base 140. The support base 140 moves horizontally H to a position in which the container 28 is located below of the elevated pressure vessel 120. The pressure vessel 120 is then lowered to a position in which the pressure vessel 120 comes into contact with the support base 140.

When the pressure vessel 120 is positioned as shown in Figure 5, a pressurized gas P is introduced into the pressure vessel 120 through a pressure line 128, the coating composition in the vessel 28 being pushed upwards to through a rod 125 and through the supply line 126 to provide a flow of the coating composition C to the desired application device (not shown).

As shown below in Figure 5, a cleaning attachment 150 is mounted to the support base 140 in a different horizontal position from where the container 28 rests. The cleaning accessory 150 includes a hollow cleaning chamber that is structured and arranged to receive the rod 125 of the pressure vessel 120 when the system is in the cleaning position.

At any suitable time during the cycle and, preferably when the support base 140 is located in the initial position, the used coating composition container 28 can be removed from the support base 140 and can be replaced with another filled container 28. Of this In this manner, the containers 28 can be removed and replaced during a cleaning operation to increase the rate at which the system can release various types of coating compositions. Said extraction and replacement can be done, in certain embodiments, automatically. For example, a robot arm 42, as shown in Figures 2 and 4 can be used to remove the used coating composition containers 28 from the support base 140 and / or place the filled containers 28 on the base of the base. support 140. The use of a substantially flat support base 140 facilitates the efficient placement and removal of the coating composition containers 28 because the containers 28 can be placed on the support base 140 by a relatively simple movement in a horizontal plane in Instead of a more complex movement involving the vertical placement of the containers down in a pressure vessel that has side walls. For example, the robotic arm 42 can be rotated and / or translated in a substantially horizontal plane to place a container 28 in the support base 140 with little or no vertical movement required.

In certain embodiments, the coating composition can be applied to panels, cured and evaluated, for example, using a conveyor system as disclosed in United States Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 327,903. The stages of the process may include: mounting at least one panel on a conveyor; applying a coating composition to the panel or panels; transporting the conveyor and the panel or panels to a curing location; cure the coating composition; transport the conveyor and the panel or panels from the curing position; and removing the conveyor panel or panels. Before or after the elimination step stage, the Characteristics of the cured coating can be evaluated manually or automatically.

Once the panels are mounted on the conveyor, at least one coating composition as described above can be applied to the panels. The coating composition can be applied by any suitable method, such as spraying, rolling, brushing, knife coating, spin coating and the like. The same coating composition or a different one can be applied to each of the multiple panels. In addition, each individual panel may have a single coating composition or multiple coating compositions applied thereto.

After applying the composition or coating compositions, the conveyor and panels can be transported to a drying location and / or a curing location. The conveyors with the fixed coated panels can be moved out of the sprayer or other application area, for example, by a shuttle system that uses a robotic arm that grabs the conveyor and moves it to a sliding mechanism or other supporting structure. The entire conveyor can remain in the support structure for a specific drying time before the conveyor moves to a curing area.

After the curing operation, the conveyor and panels can be removed and evaluated. For example, manual or automated measurements can be performed as described above. In certain embodiments, quality control measurements can be made with a three-axis device having a panel surface painted to a spectrophotometer in a selected orientation and a measurement map. For example, multiple measurements can be made in different orientations. Suitable types of spectrophotometers include sphere-based, multiangular, single-angle and gonio spectrophotometers. Other types of devices for evaluating the panels include electron microscopes, flatbed scanners, fixed-film cameras, optical cameras, digital cameras, X-ray cameras, infrared cameras, analog video cameras, digital video cameras, brightness meters , film gauges and the like.

In certain embodiments, when the measurements are completed, a robotic arm can move each panel to an indication labeling system where the panel will have the desired indications applied. The labeled panels can then be stored, for example, by placing them in a frame to protect their coated surfaces. In an embodiment of the invention, an automated process that tracks a particular panel, its coating formulation and the associated reflectance or other characteristics may be provided, and otherwise load or store said information in a database for various uses.

In certain embodiments, the systems and methods of the present invention may use various methods as described below.

Formulation of entry coating composition: a specific job identification (ID) is created; a specific formula ID is created; a list of components and target weight amounts is created; the information of the user / advisor is linked to the work ID; and the job information is linked to the job ID.

Types of work: number of dispensing systems, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4; date / time of the work start stamp; paint system; Job ID; number of base layer layers required; number of panels required (for example, 1 or 4); color type of gray spectral panel; heated flash required (y / n) after the first layer and time; quantity of reducer that will be added depending on the identification of the work; specified mixing time; pressure vessel air pressure levels automated; transparent layer required (y / n); transparent layer process, for example, number of layers, pressures, drying times, etc .; oven curing times for basecoat and clearcoat operations; the drying times to the ambient air between each stage of the movement of the panel; quality control measurement process; quality control measurement data linked to the identification of the work; and stamp of date / time of completion of work.

Data / notification: number of jobs per dispenser / paint line per hour / day; Downtime or error incidents that cause delay in production; dispensation times for work; automation times by process from the start / stop of the dispensing, movement of the panel, application, time of completion of work, etc .; and stamp of date / time of the user's entries.

Coating application: during the coating application stage, the conveyor with panels mounted on it can be transferred to the applicators and a work number can be called to start the spraying (example: paint type; number of panels = 1; number of layers = 3, drying by heating after the first layer only, and drying 60 seconds between layers). Then, the applicator can spray or apply the coating compositions on the panels. In certain embodiments, after the base coat has been applied, the panel conveyor can be presented to a heat box for instant curing, so that it can be sprayed with additional layer or layers or can be transferred to a curing oven to heal, and finally it can be presented to a transparent layer applicator.

Evaluation: in the evaluation stage of the sample coating, a robot or other transport device can transfer a panel or a support that has at least one panel mounted on it to a quality control discharge (QC) station. A panel to measure can be placed on a cooling plate for 60 seconds to cool down In the quality control area of the discharge, a quality control inspection head can be set and the panel can be moved to various positions to present the panel for measurements at predefined locations. Feedback can be managed to ensure that the reading cycle has been successful, in which case the measurement work can be completed. If the measurement does not succeed, the panel can be labeled accordingly and classified, for example, in a stack of rejects. If a measurement is successful, the readings can be added to the database.

Application of indications: the inspected panel of quality control can be presented to a system of printing and application of labels where the final label of the panel will be printed and applied to the panel. After verification, the panels can be loaded onto racks, cartridges or stored in a different way. The data resulting from the above steps can be transferred to a suitable computer database, such as the coating formulation database.

However, the numerical ranges and the parameters that establish the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values indicated in the specific examples are indicated as precisely as possible. However, any numerical value inherently contains certain errors that necessarily result from the standard variation found in their respective test measurements.

In addition, it should be understood that any numerical range mentioned in this document is intended to include all subintervals included therein. For example, a range of "1 to 10" is intended to include all subintervals between (and including) the minimum value quoted from 1 and the maximum value quoted from 10, that is, having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.

In this application, the use of the singular includes the plural and the plural includes the singular, unless the opposite is specifically indicated. In addition, in this application, the use of "or" means "and / or" unless specifically indicated otherwise, although "and / or" may be used explicitly in certain cases.

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that modifications to the invention can be made without departing from the concepts described in the foregoing description. Such modifications must be considered included in the following claims, unless the claims, by their language, expressly express otherwise. Accordingly, the particular embodiments described in detail herein are illustrative only and do not limit the scope of the invention to which the full scope of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof must be given.

Claims (15)

1. A process of color matching for coatings, comprising: providing an objective formulation for a coating composition, including types and objective amounts of components of the coating composition to be included in the objective formulation; automatically dispense the components of the coating composition in a container and measure the amount of each of the components of the coating composition dispensed into the container; compare the measured quantity of each one of the components with the objective quantity of each one of the components; applying the coating composition to a substrate and curing the coating composition to form a sample coating; comparing the characteristics of the sample coating with the characteristics of an objective coating produced from the objective coating formulation; Y correlate any difference between the characteristics of the sample coating and the target coating with the comparison between the measured quantity of each of the components and the objective quantity of each of the components. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising any one of: - adding a reducer to the components of the coating composition before the coating composition is applied to the substrate, optionally further comprising measuring the amount of the reducer and comparing the measured amount of the reducer with a target amount of the reductant, - adding an additional quantity of at least one of the components to the container after the step of comparing the measured and objective quantities of each of the components. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the sample coating include color characteristics, spectral characteristics, appearance characteristics, physical property characteristics or a combination thereof, or wherein the characteristics of the sample coating. and objective include color characteristics. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising characterizing the sample coating as approval or failure as a function of the comparison of the sample coating and the characteristics of the objective coating, preferably performing the characterization of the sample coating as a failure. of: altering the objective formulation for the coating composition by adjusting an amount of at least one of the components of the coating composition to provide a tight coating composition; automatically dispense the components of the adjusted coating composition into another container and measure the amount of each of the components of the adjusted coating composition dispensed into the other container; compare the measured quantity of each of the components with the altered target quantity of each of the components; applying the tight coating composition to a substrate and curing the adjusted coating composition to form a tight sample coating; comparing the characteristics of the adjusted sample coating with the characteristics of an adjusted objective coating produced from the adjusted objective coating formulation; Y correlating any difference between the characteristics of the adjusted sample coating and the target coating adjusted with the comparison between the measured amount of each of the components and the target amount of each of the components of the adjusted coating composition. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying indications to the sample coating corresponding to the measured amount of each of the components, the characteristics of the sample coating or a combination thereof. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: controlling at least one processing parameter when the coating composition is applied to the substrate or cured; Y correlating any difference between the characteristics of the sample and target coatings with the at least one monitored processing parameter, which further comprises the application of indications to the sample coating corresponding to the measured amount of each component, the at least one processing parameter monitored, the characteristics of sample coating, or a combination thereof. 7. An automatic color equalization system comprising: multiple automatic dispensers of coating components containing components of a coating composition; a transporter a positionable container adjacent to each of the multiple component dispensers by the conveyor to receive the components of the coating composition; a component sensor for measuring the quantities of each of the components dispensed in the container; a mixer for mixing the components of the coating composition and the solvent; a station of automatic pressurization structured and arranged to apply pressure to the mixed coating composition to dispense as! the coating composition from the container to an application device; Y a structured robot arm arranged to transport the container to the mixer after the components have been dispensed into the container and measured, and to transport the container from the mixer to the automatic pressurization station. 8. The automatic color matching system of claim 7, further comprising a structured reducer dispenser and arranged to dispense a reducer into the container before the container is transported to the mixer, wherein optionally the reducer dispenser comprises a sensor for measuring the amount of the reducer dispensed in the container or the robotic arm is structured and arranged to transport the container from the reducer dispenser to the mixer. 9. The automatic color matching system of claim 7, further comprising a structured lid installation station and arranged to apply a lid to the container after the components of the coating composition and a reducer have been dispensed into the container. container, wherein the installation station of the lid comprises, preferably, a lid feeder that supplies a plurality of lids for a plurality of containers. 10. The automatic color matching system of claim 7, wherein the application device comprises a sprayer. 11. The automatic color matching system of claim 7, further comprising a computer programmed to record a pressure of the coating composition when dispensing from the container to the application device. 12. The automatic color matching system according to claim 7, comprising: a computer programmed to provide an objective formulation for the coating composition including types and amounts of components of the coating composition to be included in the objective formulation, wherein the computer is programmed to store data corresponding to the measured quantities of each of the components. 13. The automatic color equalization system according to claim 12, wherein the component sensor comprises a balance for measuring the weight of the components. 14. The automatic color matching system of claim 12, further comprising at least one reducer dispenser containing a reducer for the coating composition, wherein the container is positioned adjacent to at least one reducer dispenser, which optionally further comprises a reducer sensor for determining the amount of reducer dispensed in the container. 15. The automatic color matching system of claim 12, wherein the computer is programmed to compare the objective formulation with a real formulation of the coating composition dispensed into the container, wherein, preferably, the system is adapted to adding an additional amount of at least one of the components of the coating composition to the container based on the comparison of the objective formulation and the actual formulation.